Assessment Of Prenatal Care And Perinatal Outcomes In Kasigau, Kenya

Allison Smith, Western Kentucky University

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) implemented the Millennium Declaration in 2000 to establish global health goals to be achieved by 2015. Two of these Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) are directly related to maternal, neonatal and child health. Healthcare during the prenatal period can help achieve the WHO MDG’s for maternal health and child mortality. Evidence has shown that women in Kenya have limited access to prenatal care. This study focused on the prenatal care and postnatal outcome trends of the women in Kasigau, Kenya. Participants were surveyed in three villages (Rukanga, Makwasinyi, and Bhuguta) to determine if prenatal care was being received and the prevalence of a live birth and a healthy weight baby. This data illustrated that the majority of women in Kasigau (90%) receive prenatal care as well as majority of births occurring in the region are both live (98%) and of healthy weight (63%). This data shows Kasigau to be similar to Kenya as a whole in these areas. Women in Bhuguta showed a high prevalence of no education (57%) as well as home delivery (36%). In contrast, the village of Makwasinyi had an 86% primary school completion rate, while the majority of the women gave birth at the health clinic (75%).